Winning COSAFA title was Gaborone Ladies’ only option – Monene

Gaborone United Ladies assistant coach William Monene says winning the COSAFA qualifying title for the CAF Women’s Champions League was the only option for the Botswana team in South Africa on Sunday.

The coach said this after the Botswana champions overcame ZESCO Ndora Girls 4-3 on post-match penalties at AW Muller Stadium to lift the regional championship.

Monene, speaking on behalf of head coach Khalid Niyonzima, said it could have been painful winning a bronze medal again after also missing the title in last year’s tournament held in Malawi.

“We started well. We controlled the game even though we gave them too much time on the ball,” he told COSAFA media. “We kept on believing that we would come out victorious. It was difficult to lift up the girls because they thought they had it.

Thanks to the character of the girl. It was not easy.

“For me, it was painful because we brought a bronze, so coming up as a runner-up was not going to be good. Winning the gold medal was the only option. Even when we conceded two penalties, we kept believing.”

The Botswana champions lost to the University of the Western Cape during last year’s competition. Therefore, the thought of coming second best again seemed to haunt the coach again during Sunday’s final at AW Muller Stadium in Johannesburg.

Gaborone thought they had the trophy in the bag when they scored through Lesego Radiakanyo in the 45th minute.

However, the Zambians had dragged themselves into the game in open play with Fridah Kabwe scoring a late equalizer to cancel out Radiakanyo’s opener.

The late equaliser forced the game into extra-time followed by the post-match penalties.

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